The Open Boat Compare and Contrast Essay
ENG 101
Feb. 3, 2011
The Open Boat Compare and Contrast Essay Rough Draft
This paper is about the story “The Open Boat” written by Stephen Crane. In this paper, I will try to provide the similarities of the original story with the newspaper account. The differences in each article will also be discussed. Lastly, I will provide a conclusion based on the facts of both articles. "The Open Boat'' begins with a description of men aboard a small boat on a rough sea. These men are all survivors of a shipwreck. There is the cook, overweight and sloppily dressed, who is trying to remove water from the bottom of the boat. The oiler, a physically powerful man named Billie who is rowing with one oar. There is also the unnamed correspondent, who is rowing with the other oar, and the captain, who lies injured in the bottom of the boat. Each man stares intently at the waves which threaten to overtake the boat. A few things become evident about each character in this story. The cook is the most talkative of the four while the oiler is an adept seaman. The captain is profoundly sorrowful at the loss of his ship and the potential loss of life along with it. The correspondent remains less well defined. The reader does learn that the correspondent engages in a rather pointless discussion with the cook about the likelihood of being seen by rescuers or of finding a house of refuge on shore. They argue the points until the oiler repeats twice that they are “not there yet.” This section features further character development and great descriptive passages depicting the tiny boat's course across the rough waves. The captain briefly expresses doubt about their chances of survival, but then reassures the men that ‘‘we'll get ashore all right.'' The captain is the first to spot a barely visible lighthouse and they know they are approaching shore. The captain improvises a sail using his overcoat and an oar to give the oiler and a chance to
Feb. 3, 2011
The Open Boat Compare and Contrast Essay Rough Draft
This paper is about the story “The Open Boat” written by Stephen Crane. In this paper, I will try to provide the similarities of the original story with the newspaper account. The differences in each article will also be discussed. Lastly, I will provide a conclusion based on the facts of both articles. "The Open Boat'' begins with a description of men aboard a small boat on a rough sea. These men are all survivors of a shipwreck. There is the cook, overweight and sloppily dressed, who is trying to remove water from the bottom of the boat. The oiler, a physically powerful man named Billie who is rowing with one oar. There is also the unnamed correspondent, who is rowing with the other oar, and the captain, who lies injured in the bottom of the boat. Each man stares intently at the waves which threaten to overtake the boat. A few things become evident about each character in this story. The cook is the most talkative of the four while the oiler is an adept seaman. The captain is profoundly sorrowful at the loss of his ship and the potential loss of life along with it. The correspondent remains less well defined. The reader does learn that the correspondent engages in a rather pointless discussion with the cook about the likelihood of being seen by rescuers or of finding a house of refuge on shore. They argue the points until the oiler repeats twice that they are “not there yet.” This section features further character development and great descriptive passages depicting the tiny boat's course across the rough waves. The captain briefly expresses doubt about their chances of survival, but then reassures the men that ‘‘we'll get ashore all right.'' The captain is the first to spot a barely visible lighthouse and they know they are approaching shore. The captain improvises a sail using his overcoat and an oar to give the oiler and a chance to